WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Kindergarten! The school year has now begun and I want you to know
that I am very excited to have your child in my classroom! This will be a challenging and
exciting new year! As most of you know, I will keep you informed of the progress and any
upcoming events that may go into the school year!
For the parents I have not yet met, I have sent an email! If you haven’t received
anything, please contact me. I would love to meet you, as well as you are the person who
knows your child the best! Getting to know you and knowing any information about your
child may be supportful for their education and the classroom’s dynamic! I also will have
your information so that you may sign up in our class dojo site! This site is where I may
contact you personally and all the parents together as well as may be utilized for other
amazing things!
Please be on the lookout for monthly newsletters that I will send to your child on the
first of every month. The newsletters will recap: of dates of upcoming events, breakfast and
lunch menus, along with exciting classroom updates that I will have already posted on our
class dojo site! I will do my very best to make sure you know exactly what’s going on and an
open and safe communication amongst us!
We know children may be a little forgetful once they leave the classroom. Please check
your child’s backpack every evening for any homework assignments they may have and
incase there may be consent forms or letters that will need to be signed and sent back the next
day.
I encourage you to contact me anytime you have questions, comments, or concerns
about anything going on with your child at home and in the classroom! I want to know
about how you and your child are feeling about this school year, so let me know! I am
looking forward to spending this new school year teaching your child and being part of a
MS.SUMNER
support system with you. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Ms.Sumner
MS.SUMNER
My Story (insert current photo)
I was born in Oceanside, CA. I moved around a
lot in SoCal and then moved to Washington
right before I was in 3rd grade. I lived in My Goals
Edmonds and Snohomish County until I went To do my very best in supporting all of my
to college in Washington State University. students to their individual and academic
After graduating I… (will be finished when I growths! I will also be asking and collaborating
know the story haha) with the students for our personal classroom
goals & expectations!
A Few of My Favorite Things My Expectations
❖ Drinks: Sugar Free Red Bull & Coffee!!
(My lifesource)
❖ Foods: Blueberry Pancakes & Sushi
❖ Activities: Tennis, Dancing, Reading,
Learning, Volunteering, Playing Video
Games, Organizing, Listening to Music
❖ Holidays: Christmas & Earth Day
❖ Color: Orange
MS.SUMNER
My planning for Home-School Communication
What my ideal procedure for communicating with my students’ parents would be
electronically. Of course, not all families may not have access, and so it wouldn't be required. If
preferred, I would give weekly newsletter in the physical form from paper, but my personal goal
is to not use so much paper. I have asked around if any teachers have used sites to communicate
with parents. Some have introduced me to Class Dojo! Class dojo allows you and the parents to
communicate together, they are able to see their child’s progress, as well as I may “blog” to all
parents about any exciting classroom news! I tried creating a sample, but Class Dojo only gives
you a trial with “fake parents” but doesn’t allow you to post anything. So I wasn’t able to give a
fake weekly newsletter. If Class Dojo doesn’t turn out as I’d thought, I may also share google
docs, through emailing, to parents to show any needed and instructional expectations.
The communication will strongly strengthen my relationship with students for various
reasons. For an example, the parents would already give me a visual of what their child is like
and how they may act! If they may have certain triggers, I will be able to learn how to diffuse
any anger or sadness, or even prevent anything to escalate, faster than without knowing anything.
I may also learn what students like and include it in our lessons to help them find interest faster!
Parents may also tell me if they have been pursuing academics before kindergarten and how they
are doing with basic reading and writing. Parents are a very important resource to learning about
their child.
I personally give weekly emails and updates within the organization and club I am
involved with. I feel that giving a reasonable notice and sending it out friendly and professionally
is how I would express any expectations, instructions, and any form of communication.
When there are conflicts, I believe I am better and much more confident when giving
empathetic responses. When I was very new to learning to try and manage or help a situation, I
had struggled with being assertive but was able to deescalate a situation or feeling when a child
held any negative emotions. I currently feel that I am able to easily step down to their level and
have them see me more than an administrator. Using this tactic has helped a lot of past tense
situations and I had also gained a deeper relationship and understanding of the children.
A skill I do feel that I would need to practice and develop most on is the problem solving.
I feel that the steps are easily understood, but I would have trouble with the communication part.
Personally, I know I would prefer to try and solve the problem before having to make a
‘contract’ with the student. I’ve done it a couple times, but it a still new territory for me. I have
had a lot of students not agree on a term that I would present as what I would think as the best
option, and even be rejected of other solutions I would suggest. The worst is the student rejecting
everything and not wanting to communicate at all or bring any resolutions up themselves. So I
MS.SUMNER
would have no idea of what terms we could both agree on and left feeling stuck! Maybe in the
past this had happened to me because there was no respect and they felt they didn’t have to
follow or do anything that I had expected or instructed. Though I know this will happen again in
the future, I hope it will be a rarity.
